Path of the Vampire forum

A soft slide of youthful inked fingers set the weight of the coal bomber jacket across her shoulders as they rolled the reality of the world vastly changing back behind her. The woman wasn’t going to risk the loss of more time looking back. There was nothing to gain by doing so. That alone said she had to keep pushing forward. With the back drop of Creed rocking the walls of the apartment she pulled on her black riding boots and stood up stretching out her legs. Denim clung to her and wrapped at her waist while above a faded white jersey tank with Red Hot Chili Peppers on the front held the rest of her together. It was time to take care of business.

Tonight was the night she was about to cement herself firmly into the outskirts of Harper Rock. There was no reason to think she would be going elsewhere any time soon and if asked she would be honest in saying she didn’t really want to. For as much hell as she had been through there were a few rays of light peeking through her gray world. Second chances were finding their way to her and she was going to take each and every one that came as an opportunity to get her path set and do the things she was meant to do. She was forever twenty-two and she needed to get prepared for the long road ahead.

The raven haired females hand connected inside the front hip pocket with the polished beads that would never be free from her possession. A small act that only confirmed that she was on the right track. Her cool fingers laced through her hair and pulled the length of her tresses to spill out over the collar of the jacket as she zipped up the front.

Just as she was ready to step out the door the cell vibrated in her pocket. It was one of those moments when she felt the sinking feeling in her gut begin. Her thumb scrolled through to reveal the screen glowing with the number she half expected and yet she hoped she never would see again after the night was through.

“You got it?” Her fingers shifted the phone and cradled it between her ear and the shoulder while she pulled out her keys. “It had better be why you are calling.”
“You have some serious trust issues, darlin’, you know that?” The voice was worn with years of smoke and alcohol coating the lining of the throat of a soon to be dead man if the his boss found out what he was up to. “Just putting that out there for you to think about.”
“Save the lecture. I want my money.” She growled out. “I delivered the supplies and the equipment. Your boss is sitting safe and if he wants to continue staying that way then I suggest you deliver payment. Makes for bad business.” She was out the apartment door and clearing flight after flight of stairs moving downward to the lobby.
“I don’t give a rats *** what makes for bad business for the prick. Wish you would have taken care of him long ago. In the very least running his *** over could have been doing the world a justice.” A long sound of exhaling smoke was loud enough through the phone that she pulled it back and rolled her warm brown eyes as the lobby doors closed behind her. “Still waiting on that cherry machine with the hemi roaring under the hood.”
“Bad business is getting rid of what pays the bills. Keep waiting. Car shopping is not my thing at the moment. I have been turning over some new leaves. Setting in some roots and making good. So for the moment I need you to stick with the reason we are even talking. I have no patience right now. I have people waiting and serious need for that money like yesterday. I am like a grasshopper in a pond full of toads and frogs who haven’t eaten in weeks. Clear enough?”
“Yeah, yeah gotcha way back at show me the money.” He attempted to laugh but sounded more like he was hacking up the last of a lung. “Where we doing this?”
“Meet me in Thornside Park. Cash. No paper. I am not in the mood for any surprises. I don’t have time to play games. If anything else outside that happens then your boss will find his house of cards is open and a free for all to come tumbling down. I will make sure he knows to thank you.” She was tired of this part of the business she once belonged to. “Let’s just get this done and over with. I have people to meet later and not going to miss that or show up empty handed.”

Collections. Everyone had to make a living and in the short years she was doing contract car thieving for high end sports cars she was earning insane amounts of money delivering them across the state lines. While doing so she was rather effective at getting whatever was owed to her. That all changed when the three states decided it was time to pick her off the streets and give her a well earned time out. She had other plans and hit the road minus Tavi as her co-pilot. Being on the run from the warrants and the mess she left back home in New York had a significant nest egg abandoned in a risky set of hands. Now she was claiming it back through a string of contacts that had even more to worry about if things went wrong than she did if that was believable.

The night was cold to those around her as she walked into the park. Every body that passed was wrapped up and scurrying to find their destination perhaps a little faster than usual. The snow pulled up in the air around her feet as she trudged forward. Tiny clouds of winters kiss shimmered in the air as it softly landed back around the footprints she left behind. Her warm doe eyes spotted the one she expected to see corrupting the fresh air with yet another reason the lungs that were being polluted should cease to function. His three pack a day habit was doing its damage as he coughed sending his curly greased up locks of sparse hair bouncing.

“You need to give that up.” She spoke without giving him time to stop the expected hacking fit. “Where is it?” HOPE pulled from her right jacket pocket and the fingers danced in the space between them.
“Jesus, hold on.” The cigarette was stuffed between the middle aged mans shivering lips with his thick fingers that carried the dark lines of oil beneath each fingernail that could use a trim. “Here.”

A black canvas bag was pulled out of the front of his jacket and the scent of the man’s unwashed body fouled the crisp fresh air as soon as her own hand took hold of it. She shook her head once in disgust as her top lip lifted at the left side of her mouth. The zipper pulled slow and she had to work down the stacks of bound monetary notes out of the way.

“And the keys?” She fumbled through the heavy bag full of money then felt the very thing she asked for. She quickly started inspecting each stack to make sure she was not being handed next to nothing sandwiched between large bills. She knew that trick all too well. She was guilty of it back in the day herself. “Hang on.”
“Satisfied?” Another cigarette was pulling from an otherwise empty crinkling pack being formed into a ball in the mans left hand. A click and hiss signaled the flames arrival as it lit up the darkness around them.
“Yes.” She zipped up the bag and eyed him as she stepped back. “Do the world a favor and grab some patches. You are making the air weep.”
“Nice to know you haven’t changed. Still a *****.” He inhaled deep and she was reminded just how wrong he was about her.
“You have no idea.” She turned and was off without a word.

Two hours later

Who stands out in the woods in the middle of the night with a hell of a lot more money than sits in most safes in a bank after it closes? That very thought went through her mind as she walked laps that formed a fresh trail in a massive outline of the open wilderness around her. Dominique found the time that slipped by giving her the freedom to contemplate if this was the best investment or not. What was in the zipped bag was all that she had left to her name and that was putting it mildly. Being shot up in her own home and apartment by the uninvited who were constantly showing up was getting old fast. She had vowed not to retaliate against the paladins but how long would it be before others came? It didn't matter what she was going to do. It would happen eventually and she needed a place that could be a world within its walls so when and if needed she could find some sort of peace.

The bag still left the air stale with unkempt human. Part of her wondered if that was because of the source of the money that rested inside. That was She tossed the black canvas bag down on the ground finally tired of its weighing presence around her neck. A search for her cell phone took a little time digging through the pockets on her jacket. Gloves were in the way and she finally tossed them on the ground to claim the communication device evading her. The screen illuminated in the darkness and it was confirmed. The one she was waiting for was late. It was a night that had her head pulled in several directions and she felt as if she was grasping for straws.

Dominique felt the stimulation of unexpected company work to the surface of her irritation. As her awareness rose she felt her jaw clench tight. Being left waiting, stuck thinking of things she would rather forget had her mood changing a little as she went through the motions of her muscles rising her frame upward and to turn to face what came upon her. Would it be the ones she waited for or was this the beginnings of a quick way to get rid of the unwanted audience?

“Sorry I am late.” The suited male breathed out warm white clouds of a rushed exhale to explain himself. “Not going to take too long though.”

With a long stretch of her arm the bag was brought back up and Dominique pulled it over her shoulder. Her bare hands slid into each front jean pocket and took a slow look over the man. He pulled off a black leather glove and fumbled through his briefcase. It was looking promising when he nearly pulled out one set of papers only to grumble and shove them back in favor of another set. She looked around then shifted her gaze back at him. Teetering gently on the heels of her winter boots she wondered how often he did this sort of thing. Moved names, identities and documents around so that someone who shouldn’t exist was able to own something legitimately. He was dressed well not that she was huge on labels because she was not. She cared less. It was what was deep inside the skin of a person that mattered. He had his priorities and expectations and she most certainly had her own. Now if she could be assured this would all be seen as legit and not lose her *** over it she would be a lot more relaxed. The woman was about to hand over the profits of three years of work that ultimately led her to where she currently stood. If karma visited her over this as well she decided she would be incredibly pissed.

“Glad to hear that.” LESS lifted from her left pocket and served the purpose of chasing off the itch at the skin around the piercing just below the corner of her cool lips. “You guarantee this is all going to be taken care of then?”
“Yes, indeed.” Another cloud formed between them as he went to work handing her folded documents one after the other. “Done deal. No worries. If you have problems call me day or night and I will be on it. You have my word.”
“Okay.” She flipped each one open and found herself looking through more legal wording than she had ever seen on papers before. Her fingers flipped pages and finally sent all the papers closed and into the space revealed as she unzipped her jacket. “I guess that is it. Anything else?”
“The money?” He had the briefcase and folded up and now stood there with his hands holding the leather handle in front of him so that the bulk of it dangled.

The dark slicked black hair that framed the mans face didn’t move in the least as a gust of wind came up around them. Her hair flew and her eyes searched his one last time as she stretched out her hand with the bag of money. It was gone as fast as it came to her. His eyes floated beyond her shoulder to the water.

“Damn cold out here and pretty far out.” He was cool as could be and seemed to be able to count the money within without opening the bag or checking like she had.
“Yes it is. It exactly where I belong.” Her brow rose in curiosity and he noticed.
“I know it is all there.” A ice breaking partial smile suddenly opened the mans lips more than before. “Because if it isn’t you would need to learn how to navigate winter waters to get what is missing. I don’t do what I do as well as I do because I am not good at it. I can make anything happen.”

The sparkle of his eyes fixed on her wide own so much so that she felt like she was under some hold and could be frying at any moment with the focus he was using. The man either was dead serious or blowing up an ego already at the bursting point. She felt the quick shrug of her right shoulder lead the way for her response.

“Anything.” His lips sealed his claim with a single word that sounded more like a promise.
“Good to hear.” She zipped up her jacket the last amount that brought the collar tight under inked neck.

Dominique stepped back and watched him and the bag turn away and walk the direction he came from. Her mind counted his steps until he was out of view. She wasn’t intending to stand out there any longer than she had to but as soon as turned back to face the water she couldn’t leave. Her hands slid back in her jacket pockets and she stayed still while the whirl of a thousand thoughts brewed into a storm moving through her mind.